🎭 Liberated – Enhanced Edition | Review | Nintendo Switch | 8/10 | "Enhanced and Refreshed!" 🎭 @LiberatedGame #IndieGames #GameDev

I originally reviewed Liberated in its original form back in June 2020 (https://www.gamesfreezer.co.uk/2020/06/liberated-review-nintendo-switch-well.html) and my take on the game was of a positive experience marred by technical issues.

💣 Papi Commando 2: Second Blood | Review | 8/10 | Mega Drive | "There’s No Blood Like Second Blood" 💣 @Broke_Studio #IndieGames #GameDev #HomeBrew #SEGA

Here at GF, we are big fans of homebrew titles being released on older consoles and games such as Devwill Too and Flea! have been great examples of small development teams creating great games.

I’m pleased to say that Studio Vetea’s Papi Commando 2 continues this trend. A cartoonish arena shooter for up to two players with 100 levels to explore, it’s a great new game to add to your Mega Drive collection.

👑🏰 Castle Kong | Nintendo Switch | Review | 6/10 | "For Die Hard Donkey Kong fans Who Want to Really Challenge Their High Score Prowess / Patience" 👑🏰 @DrowningMonkeys #IndieGames #GameDev

Castle Kong is a homage to the legendary Donkey Kong and comes from the Drowning Monkeys devs.

The initial big draw for this game was the high score comp that was run alongside its release which was a great way to get people hyped for the game coming out.

In the cold light of day though now the competition has concluded what is the game actually like to play. Well if you like Donkey Kong then you’ll like this.

🏹🧛‍♂️ Wallachia: Reign of Dracula | Review | Nintendo Switch | 8/10 | "8-Way Combat is The Order of The Day" 🏹🧛‍♂️ @Migami_Games #GameDev #IndieGames

Following my review of Tanuki Justice a few days ago, a game from publisher Pixelheart that calls to mind the 8-bit Japanese arcade era, it was interesting to follow up that review with another game – again from Pixelheart – that shifts gears to the 16-bit era. 

Wallachia: Reign of Dracula is a  game that follows the tale of a vampire hunter as she bows-and-arrows (definitely a real term, don’t look it up) her way through seven stages of vintage arcade action in a bid to finally fire an arrow right up Dracula’s jacksie and put a stop to his haemoglobin-fuelled shenanigans.

📻 We Were Here Forever will arrive in Q4 2021 on Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X / S 📻 @WeWereHereGame #IndieGames #GameDev

Last year Britt covered We Were here Together on the XBOX One and gave it an Ice Cool Rating.

Exciting news has just come into GF HQ from the Antarctic!  

A completely new co-op adventure awaits explorers to embark on. 

We Were Here Forever will arrive in Q4 2021 on Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X / S, featuring a lively world, all-new challenges and puzzles with a thrilling story and intriguing areas to explore... 

👊 SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium | Review | Nintendo Switch | "Pocket Sized & Packing A Punch!" 👊

About 20 years ago a game called SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium came out on the Neo Geo Pocket and made the Neo Geo Pocket Colour worth buying! 

It was such a highly regarded title that more Neo Geo Pocket Colours were bought because of this title than any other game on the system. It was seen as the killer app that might make the Pocket Colour a viable opponent of the Game Boy Colour (that didn't work out too well in the end)

🐷 GUNPIG: Firepower For Hire | Review | Nintendo Switch | "I'd definitely be up for more of this!" 🐷 @FlynnsArcades #GameDev #IndieGames

To quote my friend Britt, also of this parish: "A third of the game is cutscenes, they are hurling around characters' names which all sound similar and sometimes refer to the same person in a light/dark/alternate version. So in one scene, they can refer to one character by multiple names...and they haven't yet been introduced."

He wasn't talking about Gunpig, of course. 

⚔️⛵️ Shores Unknown | First 30 Minutes Of Gameplay | No Commentary ⛵️⚔️ @ShoresUnknown #GameDev #IndieGames

Shores Unknown is a turn-based tactical RPG rendered in a rich, low-poly aesthetic. 

Build your own team of mercenaries, forge alliances, wage battles, and journey beyond the seething wall of fog known only as the Murk in this decision-influenced, narrative-driven adventure.

What dangers await you on Shores Unknown?

🕹️ GAME LINK:🕹️

https://store.steampowered.com/app/899460/Shores_Unknown/

🎙️❄️ "Please Subscribe, Like & STAY FROSTY!" ❄️🎙️

🕷️🕸️ Kill It With Fire | Review | Nintendo Switch | 8/10 | "You are a pest exterminator, albeit one that has scant regard for the property of others." 🕷️🕸️ @caseydonnellan #GameDev #IndieGames

If like me, you struggle with arachnids then Kill It With Fire will be an experience that has you running the emotional gamut from twisted, sadistic pleasures to creeping fear and tension.

🌟 Anodyne 2: Return to Dust | Review | XBOX Series X | 9/10 | "A Beautifully Realised World With a Wonderful Tale To Tell" 🌟 @analgesicprod #IndieGames #GameDev

It was only a few weeks ago that I noticed a comment on Twitter, lamenting how few games there were that were presented with PS1-era polygonal visuals.

Fast forward a few days to me watching a trailer for Anodyne 2: Return to Dust, a game which not only featured such visuals…but looked so interesting that I had to seek it out as soon as possible, it was my destiny.

🎧 Stealth Shadow X & Stealth Conqueror (Arctic Camo Edition) | Gaming Headset Review 🎧 @StealthGameNet #HeadsetReview

Kindly sent in from the folks at Stealth, I believe it’s the first time on the site that we have covered their products – or at least I have – and it was fun to dive in and see what these headsets had to offer.

Whilst the Shadow X was the clear favourite for me personally, I can see the appeal that the Conqueror would have not only for its aesthetic and complimentary stand but also for children and those of you blessed with smaller ears.

🚕🚖 Taxi Chaos | Review | Xbox Series X | 5/10 | "A Missed Opportunity For Some Throwback Action" 🚕🚖 @LionCastleEnt #IndieGames #GameDev

A title that is very clearly explicitly based on Sega’s Crazy Taxi from back in 1999, Taxi Chaos runs well from a technical standpoint and is initially fun but then falls down quickly in almost all other aspects.

🎮 STEALTH SP-C100 V PS5 Twin Charging Dock (White) | Review by Transvaal | 9/10 | "At this price it feels like a must-have accessory for your PS5" 🎮 @StealthGameNet

The Stealth SP-C100 V is a very nicely made, high-quality accessory for your PS5 at a low cost. 

🌟 Tanuki Justice | Review | Nintendo Switch | 8/10 | "Retro Arcade Action Not For The Faint Of Heart" 🌟 @PixelHeart_eu #IndieGames #GameDev

Tanuki Justice was quite a surprise to me. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when installing the game but I certainly wasn’t expecting what feels to me to be a faithful interpretation of a fictional 8-bit Japanese arcade game.

It’s well designed but I do feel that its appeal will be somewhat niche.

⚔️🏹 Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos | Review | Nintendo Switch | 8.5/10 | "Alone or with friends...it’s all good" ⚔️🏹 @Team17 #IndieGames #GameDev

Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos is a game that came across to me through the trailer as a multiplayer 16-bit Zelda title actually had more going on under the bonnet than I initially assumed and is all the better for it.

👹⚔️ Hellpoint | Review | PS4 | 7/10 | "Did I Mention This Game Was Challenging?" 👹⚔️ @CradleGames #IndieGames #GameDev

I will try to write this review without mentioning and drawing the obvious comparisons, to Dark Souls. 

I am better than that, aren’t I?

Let’s go!

💥 Shot In The Dark 💥 | @PossumHGames #IndieGames #GameDev

 

"Shot in the Dark is a classic western tale of bloody vengeance, rituals, and teeth in the dark. Take up the gun of the lone bandit as they stop at nothing in the pursuit of vengeance. The only thing standing between the bandit and their quarry is the occult nightmares lurking in the darkness. From demons to cultists and long-dead gunslingers, all manner of foes is arrayed against you.

Shot in the Dark offers a unique challenge, combining nail-biting pixel-perfect platforming with precise point and click shooting. But many of the cruel creatures of the night remain hidden in shadow. The bandit will have to be on the lookout for glowing red eyes, shadows moving through the trees, and figures lurking in the night. Because sometimes the only sign of a demon on your trail is the slight movement of the tall grass. And sometimes all you can do is take a shot in the dark."

🤜💥🤺 Guilty Gear Strive | PS4 | BETA | Gameplay | "Every Character Tried" 🤜💥🤺 @ArcSystemWorksU #GuiltyGearStrive

Guilty Gear Strive is a fighting video game developed by Arc System Works and the 6th main instalment of the Guilty Gear series.

Come watch me try all the characters in the starting roster.

Rich

💥 Speed Limit | Review | Nintendo Switch | 7.5/10 | "Live. Die. Repeat" 💥 @gamechuckretro #GameDev #IndieGames

Speed Limit is a game that takes the player on brisk journeys across classic genres ranging from side-scrolling shooters to racing games and even isometric flight.

It's a game that works great in both single-player mode, ‘pass-the-pad’ party fun and I can also imagine is a keeper for the speedrunners out there.

⚔️💀 Cathedral | Review | 8/10 | Nintendo Switch | "2D Metroidvania action with a chiptune soundtrack? Good" 💀 @EldenPixels #GameDev #IndieGames

An 8-bit styled Metroidvania, Cathedral really sucked me in with vibrant visuals and comfortably familiar gameplay. 

That said, musical issues and a clunky map do detract from the overall enjoyment.

Cathedral was a game I hadn’t heard of before but after a quick goosey at the trailer, I was sold. 2D Metroidvania action with a chiptune soundtrack? Good.